Joseph Ritchie McLaren (1846 - 1914)

Born 13 Apr 1846 in Upham, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia Hatfield (Wetmore) MacLaren — married 9 Apr 1872 (to 1895) in Saint John, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada

Husband of Elizabeth Ellen (Tally) Woolery — married 2 Mar 1901 in North Powder, Union, Oregon, United States

Descendants

Died 17 Jun 1914 at age 68 in Baker City, Baker, Oregon, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer McLaren [send private message]

Biography

Joseph Ritchie McLaren was born April 13, 1846 in Saint John, New Brunswick. He was the first child to leave the family farm. On April 9, 1871 Joseph married Lydia Hatfield Wetmore. The couple remained in the district of Upham Parish near his father Hugh. They had 3 children; Fanny, Sarah and Ella. Joseph stated on the 1881 census that he was working as a clerk, he was a "Free Thinker" and of Scottish origin. Lydia was a Baptist and of English descent. At some point in his career, Joseph was trained as a lawyer. Joseph had told his son Earnest that he had attended Harvard University, but we have been unable to verify this. In 1883 he moved his family to Stevensville, Montana, mainly for health reasons. Lydia and Joseph had two more children Mary L. and Gilbert Drake. Joseph worked as a carpenter, contractor and later a U. S. Circuit Court Commissioner. He operated a business, the Bitter Root Land Agency, offering the services of Notary Public, conveyancer, buying and selling of Real estate and loaning money on improved property. The family enjoyed excursions, camping, and trips to Canada. They were very involved in the community and lived very comfortably.

Francis "Fannie" McLaren was born April 7, 1874 in St John, New Brunswick. She passed away at the young age of 46 and apparently never married. She worked for a time at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company as a clerk. She is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Stevensville, Montana.

Ernest McLaren was born May 2, 1876 in St. John, New Brunswick and passed away as an infant on February 15, 1877.

Sarah "Sadie" McLaren was born April 15, 1878 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Sarah was a very social young lady and enjoyed outings with family and friends, trips to Canada to visit relatives and was secretary for the Christian Endeavor Society. She had a job "assisting in the dry goods department of the Anaconda Mining Co. Store and is a very efficient clerk." June 22, 1904, Sadie married Wilson Clarence Harlan. They had three children: Mary Mabel born October 22, 1906, Wilson McLaren born Jan 9, 1909. and Gilbert Drake born October 30, 1913. The family lived in Hamilton, Montana; Williston, North Dakota; and then returned to Montana and settled in Helena. Sadie McLaren passed away May 17, 1925.

Ella Wetmore McLaren was born October 27, 1881 in Saint John, New Brunswick. She was also very active in the community. Ella never married. In 1930 she was living in Eugene, Oregon and her mother Lydia, age 88 was with her. She was involved with a historical society in Oregon and participated in a publication on the Wetmore's and Hatfield's genealogy, members of her mother's family. Ella passed May 26, 1973 in Eugene, Oregon. She is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Stevensville, Montana.

Mary L McLaren was born in Stevensville, Montana, February 15, 1886. Mary struggled with health issue and passed at the early age 20, on May 21, 1906. She is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Stevensville, Montana.

Gilbert Drake McLaren was born June 24, 1888 in Stevensville, Montana. Gilbert graduated from Hamilton High school in 1905, and received a B.S. degree from the State University of Montana, Missoula, MT, in 1909. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He spent three years in Astoria, Oregon and worked for the Hammond Lumber Co. In 1912, he returned to Hamilton to work with his brother-in-law, W. Harlan, at the Hamilton Flour Mill. Around 1913 Gilbert was employed in the lumber department at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. For a while he was the representative in Minneapolis, then transferred to the retail department at Whitehall, Montana. In 1919, he returned to Stevensville to manage the May Mercantile Company. Gilbert was a republican and a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was affiliated with the Mystic Tie Lodge of Masons at Whitehall, chartered in 1877. Mystic Tie - Riverside No. 17. 8 N Main, Whitehall. It was the Grand Lodge of Ancient free and accepted Masons of Montana. When the family moved out to Oregon they changed the spelling of McLaren to MacLaren.

Gilbert married Effie S. Cordz January 8, 1916 in Seattle, Washington. They lived in Stevensville then by 1930 they were living in Eugene, Oregon, a few houses away from his mother Lydia and sister Ella. They had 4 children, Jean, Donald, Barbara, and Richard, all born in Montana. Effie passed away July 9, 1991 at the age of 102 years old. She is buried at Rest Haven Memorial Park in Eugene, Oregon. Gilbert passed away December 13, 1956.

Joseph in North Powder Oregon

In 1900 Joseph Ritchie McLaren was a boarder in the home of Elizabeth Ellen Tally in North Powder, Oregon. On March 2, 1901 he married Elizabeth "Eliza" Ellen Tally. Elizabeth was born May 19, 1873 in Bangor Township, Iowa. Eliza was the daughter of Robert Canon Tally and Malinda Elizabeth Speas. Joseph and Eliza had four children: Sylvia Lulu, Joseph Ritchie Jr., Retha Jewel, and Earnest Irvine, all born in North Powder, Oregon. Joseph was a lawyer and eventually became the Mayor of North Powder, Oregon. Joseph Ritchie passed away June 17, 1914 in Baker City, Oregon. He is buried at North Powder Cemetery in North Powder, Oregon. Elizabeth passed away July 12, 1948 in Portland, Oregon.

Sylvia Lulu McLaren was born in 1903. In 1920 at the age of 17 she was living and working as a waitress in a hotel in Coos, Oregon. She married Henry R. W. Sander before 1922. They had one child. Ritchie Sander was born in 1923.

In 1925 she married George Dillard Wilson. George owned a farm in Powers Town, Coos, Oregon. They had 2 children. Dillard E Wilson was born in July 1926 in Powers, Oregon. Sylvia Wilson was born in 1929 in Powers, Oregon.

Joseph Ritchie McLaren was born in 1905 in North Powder Oregon. In 1927 he married Noma E Gray in Chehalis, Washington. They had one daughter, Betty Jean. Sadly, Joseph was killed in a logging accident November 30, 1928 in Ryderwood, Washington.

Retha Jewel McLaren was born May 1909. In 1930 Retha was a graduate at St. Vincent's Hospital School for Nurses. Her position was Head Nurse. Retha married Charles Alvin Caviness. Chuck worked in a lumber mill. They did not have any children. Retha passed away September 10, 1967 in Douglas, Oregon. Charles passed away April 21, 1994 in Washington, Oregon. Retha and Chuck are buried at Hills Cemetery in Gaston, Oregon.

Earnest Irvine McLaren was born on January 23, 1910. Earnest was employed with the Crown Williamette Lumber Co., now Zellerbach. Earnest married Maxine Juanita Butler May 23, 1933 in Astoria, Oregon. Maxine was born December 31, 1914 in Askew, Mississippi. The couple had one child.

Sources

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/147605/person/-1209390883/facts

"Canada Census, 1871", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4MN-H4R : Thu Mar 07 16:29:59 UTC 2024), Entry for Hugh McLaren and Elizabeth McLaren, 1871.

"Canada Census, 1881", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV64-N6Q : Fri Mar 08 22:38:51 UTC 2024), Entry for Joseph McLeran and Lydia R. McLeran, 1881.

https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/NewspaperVitalStats/Details.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=FB149375-85F5-4F78-A9BB-6ECD0C0FAA37

"United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLY1-TS5 : Sun Mar 10 20:02:22 UTC 2024), Entry for Joseph R McLaren and Eliza E McLaren, 1910.

"Oregon, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 1903-1918", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CVHS-BLPZ : Sat Mar 09 08:27:44 UTC 2024), Entry for Earnest Irvine McLaren and Joseph Ritchie McLaren, 23 Jan 1910.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47257055/joseph_ritchie-mclaren: accessed May 6, 2024), memorial page for Joseph Ritchie McLaren (13 Apr 1846–17 Jun 1914), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47257055, citing North Powder Cemetery, North Powder, Union County, Oregon, USA; Maintained by KerryRaeSmithMoser (contributor 48011981).